Liberty Hyde Bailey is often credited with designing this building, the first separate horticulture laboratory in the United States. Even the historic marker mounted by the front entrance makes this claim. However, this is not exactly true. Professor Bailey provided the general design concepts for the laboratory, and then a professional architect—William P. Appleyard—incorporated those elements into a solidly engineered building. Appleyard was also the architect of the Library–Museum and the original Abbot Hall.[Minutes, 1 Jun 1887, p. 524. Stanford, p. 60. Physical Plant, p. 14]

After the new Horticulture building, now known as “Old Horticulture,” was constructed in 1924, this became the home of the Basic College, and later the Honors College. In 1961 it was renamed in memory of Harry J. Eustace (M.A.C. ’01), Chair of the Horticulture Department 1908–1919. A $3 million donation by former honors student Jeffrey Cole (M.S.U. ’70) and his wife, Kathryn (M.S.U. MBA ’90), for renovations to the structure led to its being renamed as Eustace–Cole Hall in 1999.

An ivy-covered hall: intricate patterns on the rear (east) wall of Eustace Hall, Autumn 1992. The ivy was removed during the 1998–99 restoration, for the sake of the building’s health. A later addition now hides much of this wall. Photo Credit: Kevin S. Forsyth.